Warrens Bakery facts for kids
Warrens Bakery is a company from Cornwall in the United Kingdom. It says it is Britain's oldest maker of Cornish pasties, starting way back in 1860 in St Just. The company makes lots of yummy baked goods. You can buy them in their own shops or through other stores that sell their products. In December 2019, Warrens Bakery Limited made a special agreement with its suppliers and landlords to help manage its finances.
How Warrens Bakery Grew
Warrens Bakery used to be a family business. But in 2012, it became a bigger company with new investors, like Mark Sullivan, who is now the chairman. This happened because other bakeries were making things a bit tough for the business. Between March and October 2012, the company had to close five shops and a large production unit. Some staff members also had to leave their jobs.
In January 2015, the bakery got £1.6 million from Santander UK to help make its shops look new and to open more stores. They also got a loan of £250,000 from Cornwall Council.
Even though the company sold more products in the year up to June 2018, it faced some challenges. Making new stores ready to open and the rising cost of ingredients made things difficult.
More changes happened in 2019. In July, about 66 jobs in production and delivery were affected at their sites in St Just and Plymouth. In November, the company announced it would close its main site in St Just, which they had used since the 1970s. They also closed 20 shops, including some they had just opened in Wiltshire. By the end of 2019, the number of employees had dropped to around 350. The shop in Mere Green in the West Midlands, which was their only shop outside the South West, also closed in 2019.
In December 2019, after talking with the people they owed money to, the company entered a special financial plan. This plan helps a company pay back its debts over time.
What Warrens Bakery Is Like Today
As of 2020, Warrens Bakery is the biggest chain of bakeries in South West England. It has 44 shops, mostly in Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset. You can also buy their products online and in other shops through their wholesale brand, Simply Cornish.
Since June 2016, Warrens Bakery has been part of a larger group called Provenance Brands Limited. This group also owns the Cornish Sea Salt Company. Provenance also owns Warrens Bakery Franchise Limited. This part of the company helps other people open their own Warrens Bakery shops, like a "franchise." In 2018, it was said that many new franchised stores were being planned.
